Studies & Degrees in Management
Management Study Programs
Management is the study of how organisations are run: how goals are set, how people, money and operations are organised to reach them, and how results are measured. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) describes management occupations as those in which workers establish plans and policies, direct business activities and oversee people, products and services.
A management degree is broad by design. At the University of Aberdeen, for example, students of Business Management study managing organisations, the economics behind business and society, accounting and entrepreneurship, statistics, human resource management and consumer behaviour.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degrees. Length depends on the country. In England, the BSc (Hons) Business Management of Anglia Ruskin University takes three years, four with a placement year, and has a two-year accelerated version. In Scotland, the MA Business Management of the University of Aberdeen is an undergraduate degree of 48 months. In Canada, the Bachelor of Business Administration of the University of the Fraser Valley takes four years and can be combined with paid co-op work terms of four, eight or twelve months.
- Spain. An official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits. The usual degree in this field is Administración y Dirección de Empresas (ADE). One example is the ADE degree of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, an official degree of 240 ECTS credits taught fully online in Spanish or Catalan. Elsewhere in Europe a bachelor's degree has 180 or 240 ECTS credits.
- Master's degrees for recent graduates. A master's in management is aimed at people with little or no work experience. The Management MSc of Cranfield University lasts 12 months, starts on 28 September 2026 and is addressed to graduates who want to develop management skills before their first professional role. It asks for a UK first or second class honours degree or an equivalent international qualification, and two of its modules take place in Granada, Spain. In Spain, official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits.
- MBA and programmes for professionals. The MBA is meant for people who already have experience: Cranfield directs applicants with three or more years of professional experience to its MBA instead of the MSc. The Master of Science in Management and Organizational Leadership of Albertus Magnus College has 30 credits, is delivered online and, according to the college, can be completed in a year by most students.
- Vocational training. In Spain the related higher vocational (grado superior) qualification is the Técnico Superior en Administración y Finanzas, a programme of 2,000 hours that prepares for administrative posts in areas such as accounting, finance and human resources rather than for management positions.
Where to study management
SpainExchange lists 474 active schools for management. The United States has 156, the United Kingdom 48, Spain 37, Canada 17 and France 15. Germany has 11, China and Australia nine each, Austria seven, the Netherlands and Greece six each, and Italy five.
In the United Kingdom the list includes Cranfield University, the University of Aberdeen, Anglia Ruskin University, the University of Westminster and Regent's University London. In the United States it includes The Ohio State University, The University of Texas at Austin, San Diego State University, Binghamton University and Albertus Magnus College. Other examples are the University of the Fraser Valley in Canada, The American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) in Greece, Tel Aviv University in Israel and the KDI School of Public Policy and Management in South Korea.
Before choosing, compare the language of instruction, the length of the degree, whether a placement is included, the entry requirements and, for private schools, what recognition the qualification has.
Careers
Graduates usually start in a functional role, for example in sales, operations, finance, human resources or consulting, and move into management with experience. The BLS notes that many top executives advance within their own organisations, moving up from lower-level management or supervisory positions.
According to the BLS, overall employment in management occupations in the United States is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2025 to 2035, with about 1.1 million openings a year. Top executives, who plan strategies and policies so that an organisation meets its goals, held about 3.9 million jobs in 2025, and their employment is projected to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035. They typically need at least a bachelor's degree and considerable work experience, and those in large corporations may have an MBA. Management analysts, who recommend ways to improve an organisation's efficiency, held about 1.08 million jobs in 2025, with projected growth of 10 percent over the same period.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a management degree take?
Three years in England, as at Anglia Ruskin University, and four years in Scotland, Canada and Spain, where the bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits. A master's in management such as Cranfield's takes 12 months.
What is the difference between a master's in management and an MBA?
The master's in management is for recent graduates and the MBA for people with work experience. Cranfield University, for example, suggests its MBA to applicants with three or more years of professional experience.
Can I study management online?
Yes. The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya teaches its bachelor's degree in ADE fully online, and Albertus Magnus College delivers its master's in management and organisational leadership online.